Junior Tutorial: Sociology of Health and Illness

Harvard FAS

Why do non-Hispanic Black babies represent one-third of all US births, but three-fourths of infant deaths? Why do we see body fat, but not social isolation, as a public health crisis? How can the pursuit of health be used to perpetuate social inequalities—and to contest them?Addressing questions such as these, this junior tutorial introduces students to a sociological approach to health and illness. We will focus on four areas: 1) the social determinants and social distribution of…